I’m at a dinner party, sitting between two very nice people I just met.

The man to my left is a financial planner and the woman to my right is asking him about retirement, investments, etc.

“I mean, I know I’ve got to get it together,” she nods over pasta. “I know I should be maxing out my 401k and all that. I probably wouldn’t need help with my retirement if I’d just unsubscribe from the J. Crew newsletter.” She laughs self-consciously and takes a sip of red wine.

“I’d be happy to help,” Financial Planner Man says, and smoothly hands over his business card.

Reader, it was all I could do not to slap that card out of his hand and yell “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HELP HER YOU’RE TREATING SYMPTOMS NOT THE CAUSE!!!”

But, uh, that’s not polite dinner party behavior?

A bit of real talk: 99% of the money advice starts in the wrong place.

It treats a symptom (living with debt, spending too much) without addressing the cause (buying things to keep up with our friends, shopping when we’re tired/overwhelmed.)

Here’s the truth:

You’re not going to have any money to invest if you keep shopping instead of feeling your feelings.

You won’t have any money for the down payment on a house if you keep buying shit you don’t really like because you don’t understand what ACTUALLY makes you happy.

You won’t be able to open your bank account and feel calm + proud if you don’t understand which purchases bring you joy and which ones bring you regret.

If we don’t understand what makes us happy + why we spend the way we do, a budget is just moving numbers around on a page.

Put Your Money Where Your Happy Isaddresses allllll this. We get to the root of what makes you happy, see if it’s actually reflected in your spending, and if it’s not, I teach you how to change that.

Without deprivation, shame, guilt, or cutting the cable.

Of course, I’d love it if you joined us inside PYMWYHI, but even if you don’t I hope you remember this: